The holiday season is upon us, the season of guilt and shame for people struggling with alcohol and drug addiction. For Vineyarders who have had enough, here are some simple directions that might help:

Head west on State Road from Vineyard Haven. Take a left directly across from the Black Dog Bakery onto Holmes Hole Road and follow the dirt track until it splits. Take the left fork onto Short Hill Road and look for a cluster of freshly shingled buildings.

You’ve arrived at Vineyard House.

Tucked away but centrally located, this sparkling new residential compound dedicated to sober living is the culmination of more than fifteen years of planning and fundraising by a determined group of volunteers. Vineyard House has space for up to twenty-five residents in separate male and female living quarters, but more than housing, the campus offers a supportive community.

There are a few rules. No drugs or alcohol, and residents must submit to random testing. No children. A Vineyard connection. A genuine desire to live a sober, productive life.

Vineyard House is not for everyone, but men and women in early sobriety who want a safe place to live surrounded by others on the same journey to recovery may find an answer to their prayers.

Next Friday, December nineteenth at eleven o’clock in the morning, Vineyard House will formally open with a public ribbon cutting, reception and tour.

If you know someone who — now or in the future — might benefit from a home away from home while they recover, come and see what hope looks like.